Authored by Sean Trende via RealClearPolitics,

We all know that this election will be different than any other election we've had in recent decades – how could it not be? This is a 100-day campaign through Election Day, and a 45-day campaign until early voting begins. The dynamics are fundamentally different than your average modern campaign.

I've been struggling to characterize exactly how the dynamics animating this campaign are different. What I've come up with is this: This campaign is a lot like the old kids' game of "don't let the balloon touch the ground." In the event you aren't familiar with that competition, the rules of the game are remarkably straightforward: Kids bounce a balloon around, and they do so until the balloon touches the ground. In the long run, kids can't really win the game, as gravity inevitably wins out. But if the goal is to pass time while parents pull together some last minute aspect of the party, the kids can theoretically win.